Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has praised a campaign by a West Midlands paramedic to highlight public support for the emergency services.

Birmingham paramedic Rob Moore started the #BlueLightHappy hashtag on social media following reports about ambulance crews receiving abuse from members of the public.

He urged people to share stories of when the emergency services have helped them - saying: "I thought it was time for a morale boost!"

And the initiative has now been backed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said on Twitter: "Fantastic response to one stupid act - paramedics deserve our thanks every day as #bluelighthappy stories show."

The Birmingham Mail reported this week that a pair of paramedics received a furious note from a man whose driveway was blocked as they tried to save a dying patient's life.

West Midlands Ambulance Service paramedic Amy Holton rushed to the aid of a 42-year-old man in Small Heath, Birmingham, and was forced to park her ambulance in front of a resident's drive to try to save him.